After yesterday’s post about carefully removing trim, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight another tool that I always have with me, a painter’s all-in-one.
It looks like a fancy putty knife, which is actually a fairly accurate description. It has a stronger blade than a typical putty knife, though the blade is thin and sharp. I like that the butt end of it is reinforced so I can hammer on it without hurting the handle.
At the store, these are often called things like painter’s 5-in-one, etc. I think that mine actually said it was a 14-in-one or something ridiculous like that. You can get a 7-in-1 on Amazon here for under $6.
Anyway, in addition to loosening trim it’s great for:
1. Scraping old caulk off of trim for reuse
2. Scraping off peeling paint
3. Applying leverage to trim to make tight joints (like crown moulding)
4. Pulling some nails
5. Sharp curve can cut linoleum and rigid insulation (see this post)
6. Anything you would use a putty knife for- glazing, applying wood filler
7. Opening windows
8. Bottle Opener
9. Lots more, be creative here
Get your own, I’m hanging on to mine!
-Peter
